Free Patterns for a Prairie Queen Quilt

"Temperament has much to do with success in any undertaking, and persons afraid of coyotes and work and loneliness had better let ranching alone." 1 Elinore Stewart of Burnt Fork Wyoming

The prairie is tied in our minds to the pioneers. We envision them crossing the plains in their prairie schooners as we imagine their triumphs and fears.

The quilt shown to the left is 45" by 55". By changing the number of blocks you can make anything from a crib quilt to a king sized quilt. Be sure to look at The Prairie Queen History page for background on this quilt.

The pyramid border has been around for a very long time. It can be seen in some borders of Medallion Quilts in the early 1800s and continued to be used in quilt borders when block quilts became popular around mid the 19th century.

>Cut triangles of contrasting colors in 5 7/8 inch squares then cut the squares into two triangles. I suggest making a test row of triangles then measuring them against the blocks to be sure they are the right size. Two dark pyramids should be the same length as one block. Do some experimenting with this before you make the whole border.

Instructions for making the Prairie Points border

You might want to finish your quilt with a Prairie Point border. This style of border does not seem to be common until the 20th century but there are example of this technique being used as early as the mid 19th century. 2 You will find instructions on making prairie points at McCall's Quilting: Prairie Points Edging. The points are made with folded fabric so are more of a challenge to make but the result is lovely.